Rank up is available to you. Do you wish to Rank up?...

Dante stared at the words hovering in his vision, stunned for a moment. Then it passed.

"Hell yes!" He exclaimed before he started coughing. His throat was still hurting a bit from his labored breathing moments prior.

His vision went blank for a second before it was replaced by a familiar scene.

He found himself standing in the shade of a familiar tree in his soul space. The tree that rested upon what he would dub Entrance Hill.

He heard something that resonated with this place, that almost made the air vibrate, a voice all encompassing...

Rank up in progress...

He looked up and saw it. Saw his tower beginning to change.

It seemed, no, it was definitely getting shorter.

Dante watched in amazement as the higher floors of the tower began to be disassembled.

Pillar by pillar. Tile by tile. The higher floors came apart and began floating downward to the lower floors.

It reminded him of Magneto moving things around.

He watched those pieces that had once been parts of higher floors move through the air with grace and speed.

He took a few steps as Virgil had taught him, this small world of his racing by, seconds later he stood before the tower's base.

Still he watched the dance, each piece pulled from the top became a seamless part of the lower floors.

Slowly the circular slabs that formed the upper floors began to melt. Flowing like liquids down the tower, the materials reforming as they became part of the lower floors. Widening them in the process.

One by one the upper floors of the tower moved downward and became part of the lower floors.

Pillars on each floor began moving outward, taking up new positions. New pillars were pulled from higher floors as they melted and placed perfectly to keep the tower structurally sound. Making up for the increasing floor area, the increasing need for roof support.

He found himself having to back up a few dozen feet as the base of the tower began to widen. Still he watched, as his tower changed. After about a minute, it was over.

How many floors was his tower now? He began counting but didn't get past 5 before he blinked.

--------

Congratulations on your advancement to Rank 2!...

Rank up bonus: 200 small gold pieces...

Dante blinked a few times in surprise at the surprise bonus.

"Well what do you know?" He asked with a smile.

"What have we here? It would seem you have ranked up..." Came the voice of the Headmaster.

Dante looked to see the Headmaster strolling back towards him with a smile on his face.

"...I will recommend that even if you can rank up again any time soon, don't. Not for at least a week. Your body will need a bit of rest after the rank up process. Now before we continue with your training I have received a notice meant for you." He said as he made a waving motion towards him. A notice rolling across his vision.

Relevant entity has offered you a free feat….

"Relevant entity? Sounds like Arcs...Do you think it's the same person who paid for my spells?" Dante asked curious but already suspecting the answer.

"It is a likely possibility. More likely than another suddenly taking an interest in you. Now, you may choose a feat and then we shall continue with learning either Shocking grasp or Ray of Frost. Then we take another break and finish the last one off. Any questions?" The Headmaster spoke allowing him a moment to reply.

"Will my choice of feat open a new road to me? Like how learning Control Flames opened the road of fire to me."

Insufficient data for meaningful reply...

"I suspect the system has already answered that question for me."

"Yeah, I suppose we will just have to see." Dante smiled at that thought. Here he was being trained in magic by an archmage, treading forth into unknown territory. He smiled brightly and gave a small laugh.

"Can I see the available feats now?" He asked, as a blue box appeared before him.

To his surprise and gratitude he knew almost all the feats listed.

"They are all feats from D&D 5e. What no feats from earlier editions?" He queried the system.

Requested feats are unavailable at this time...

"Huh...Maybe those will be available later. I'll have to check that next time." He said before beginning his contemplation of the list and its options.

'I could go with Spell Sniper, it doubles the range of my spells.' He thought as he passed over feat after feat scrolling for Spell sniper.

Then he noticed it.

Each feat his eyes passed over gave off their own auras. A feeling, almost an image, that seemed to radiate from the title text of each feat.

A joyful joker...

A skeletal hand made from shadows that he could swear reached out for him...

A mage sitting in a room far beneath the world scribing onto animal skin, his desk covered in scrolls and tomes...

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

So many feelings, so many images calling to him. He shook his head trying to refocus.

His head stopped when more questions popped into his mind. He decided to direct those questions towards the system.

"How many feats can I get under the system?" Dante asked, and watched the notice reply roll across his field of vision.

As many as you meet the requirements for...

"Does rank play into this somehow?" He asked, throwing out a random idea in his head.

Feats are available at every certain number of levels dependent upon your rank...

If levels in the system were to be compared to D&D, Rank 1 would be 5 system levels for every level of D&D...

Rank 2: 4-1, Rank 3: 2-1, Rank 4: 1-1, Rank 5: 1-2...

As per D&D, a feat would be available every 4 D&D levels...

"Is that every 4 total levels, or every 4 class levels?" He asked for clarification.

Total levels, however feats will not be granted retroactively for levels accumulated prior to the system's advent...

"Well shit...It would be great getting a feat every 2 levels at rank 5 but damn the experience required would kill me. Let's just get back on track..." He paused as he remembered the Headmaster. Turning quickly he saw the Headmaster sitting in a chair. He appeared to be using mana manipulation to create small flying insects similar to butterflies.

Dante smiled then refocused on the list of feats.

'Hmmm...Ritual caster? Damn! Requires 130 INT, WIS, or CHA? Fuck...I'll get that one next time...' he thought as he continued to search through the feats, noting a few that seemed more useful at the moment. They were all the D&D feats, well all the ones with where he met the requirements.

A bit more searching told him he could see those with requirements if he asked for them, like Ritual caster.

He thought and searched and pondered for several minutes before something changed.

He closed his eyes and made his choice.

He needed tools for his survival, and if he was going out with his party he needed them now.

Though he wished desperately for one thing else he had to choose this...

"Fighting Initiate...."

He paused as he heard the headmaster speak.

"An interesting choice, do you intend to take the Road of a Spell sword then?" Asked the Headmaster.

"No, at least not now..." he replied.

His pause continued a moment as he looked but found that being a spell sword wasn't a feat available to him.

He needed something that couldn't so easily be taken from him. Something to rely on when his back was against the wall and he was out of other options...

He looked to his hands and with a flex of his will a single skill activated.

Iron skin...

His skin became gray and muted. His skin was Iron, and no one could take that from him like they could take a weapon. He clenched his hands into fists and raised them to eye level.

Resolved to this road, at least for now, he spoke those final words.

"...Unarmed Fighting."

You have selected the feat: Fighting Initiate...

You have selected the fighting style: Unarmed fighting...

^*(^&(*^*^*( looks upon your choice and smiles...

Wizards often fall to their frailty. I see you seek not to be among them. I will be watching you, Dante...

Came a voice that echoed in his mind, source less.

A shiver ran down his spine as he felt that door in the back of his mind open once more.

You have acquired the Uncommon Passive skill, Unarmed fighting...

Unarmed fighting- You have learned how to better utilize your own body as a weapon against your enemies. When using your body as a weapon, you gain a small increase to damage inflicted, per skill level...

Light poured into his mind through the doorway. Five, ten seconds went by.

He felt an alien twitch in his muscles as he began to shake. Even as he shook he resolved himself.

This was the road he had chosen, now he had to walk it.

Despite the trembling of his body he managed to clench his fists.

The moment ended and the door swung shut once more, but something else stirred within him.

Or was it...

He blinked only to discover it was him moving. He felt his body running through a set of motions he hadn't known just a moment ago.

Punch, kick, elbow...

He lashed out with his enhanced strength, its power further enhanced by the unnatural weight granted to him by his Iron skin skill.

He paused however when he heard the sound of gentle applause. Turning to his left he saw the Headmaster standing up and walking over towards him.

"Most interesting, I think I see why your benefactor took an interest in you. Now then there will be more time for training those skills of yours later. Either at the Adventurer's Guild or outside the walls." He paused, motioning to the walls in the distance.

"Now then which shall it be? Ray of Frost or Shocking grasp?" He asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

Dante took a few deep breaths and cast cleanse on himself to help alleviate his sweating.

With a smile and a glee in his eyes, he said, "Ray of Frost."

---------------

Mana manipulation has leveled up! Lvl. 17->21...

Mana Sense has leveled up! Lvl. 14->16...

Student of Magic has leveled up! Lvl. 7...

Physical Fitness has leveled up! Lvl. 6...

Dante stared at the small squared wooden cups the professor had laid out before him. Each filled with what looked like water.

It had taken him about 2 hours to get the spell this time and he felt every minute of it.

"I thought we might have an ice cold drink while we take our lunch break but it would seem we are out of ice..." The Headmaster spoke, smiling just a little too wide as he did so.

"Perhaps you can put your new cantrip to work and make us some? Hmm...What do you think?"

Dante looked at him incredulously for a moment before a smile crossed his face and he gave a halting chuckle. Then he downed one of the shot glass sized cups of water only for it to be immediately replaced.

He closed his eyes taking a few deep breaths then pointed a finger at his forehead.

"Ray of frost AH son of a..." He swore at the pain and sudden cold, but gritted his teeth.

Because hey, at least he was cooler now.

Taking a moment he smacked himself in the face and felt the ice begin to crack and fall away. When he could open his eyes again he saw dozens of thumbnail sized chunks of ice resting at his feet.

"...That's better...I wonder if I can train cold or freezing resistance like this?" His thinking aloud halted by the laughter of the Headmaster and the notice that rolled across his vision.

+1 Wis...

Affinity progression...

The Road of Ice has opened to you...

"Yes you can! I have never seen a student try that before. *haha* You continue to intrigue Dante. Now..." He paused, motioning towards the cups still sitting before them.

"...Cubes of ice if you would be so kind."

“We just call them ice cubes for simplicity.” Dante remarked.

“Noted.”

He would have more time to play with Ray of Frost later. But for now, he was making ice cubes.

Your standing with the Headmaster of the Mages Guild has increased...

Student of Magic has leveled up! Lvl. 8...

But it was as he made more of those ice cubes that he noticed something odd about his ray of frost.

Where you might expect a single uniform beam, it almost seemed like it was a small geyser of ice.

'I'll have to test if I can rework this a bit so I can hold it on if need be. Might get a better view of what's going on with this one... I wonder if Shape water has some effect here?'

Looking back at his skill level up notices he came to two conclusions.

'One, It's definitely better to learn spells at the mages guild, and two I will have a nice amount of Rp to play with when this is all done.' With a few more moments of thought and a few castings of Ray of frost he added a third thing to that list.

'Try working with the light and Dancing lights spells to see if I can get the Road of Light to open up...'

"God damn it!" he swore as the rapidly freezing water expanded in its small wooden cup breaking it.